Blood Oath (episode)
For the Klingon custom; See: Blood oath. Dax is reunited with three old Klingons with whom Curzon swore a blood oath eighty years previously to take revenge on an "Albino." Summary Quark complains to Odo that a drunken Klingon named Kor is ruining his holosuite and Odo takes the man to a holding cell. Koloth, one of Kor's friends, comes to release him; however, when he sees Kor is still quite drunk, he tells Odo to keep him. Dax overhears Odo telling Kira about the incident and has Kor released. She reveals to him and to Koloth that she was Curzon Dax, or at least the symbiont inside her was. Kor and Koloth realize that another friend, Kang has set this meeting up on purpose. Kang informs the other three that he has found "the Albino," a man whose heart all four swore a blood oath to eat. However, while Kor embraces Jadzia immediately and Koloth slowly accepts her, Kang is skeptical of her involvement in the mission. He cites that Trill hosts have no obligation to honor past commitments and tells her that she is released from Curzon's oath. Confiding in Kira, Dax nonetheless feels obligated to fulfill it. Dax talks to Kor, who is as joyful as ever. His response to her desire to participate is, "Oh, of course you should come! The splendor of fighting and killing, a bloodbath in the cause of vengeance; who wouldn't want to come!" After a bat'leth duel with Dax, Koloth tells her that her presence will do honor to their cause. Kang remains adamant but Dax presses the matter. After all, Curzon was the godfather of Kang's son whom the Albino killed, and he cannot deny her right to vengeance. Finally, begrudgingly, Kang agrees to allow her to come but does not approve. Sisko beats Dax to the punch and comes to her quarters to tell her she may not have a leave of absence to kill the Albino. He does not understand the concept of murder in the name of vengeance. When Dax begs him not to make her disobey a direct order, he does not directly give her permission to go but does not stop her either. On the way to the Albino's hideaway, the Klingons and Jadzia discuss the logistics of their surprise assault. Koloth and Kor march out of the room triumphantly, but Dax stays to confront Kang. While the others may be blinded by their loyalty to Kang, she is able to see that the plan is doomed and demands to know why Kang wants to commit suicide. Finally, Kang reveals that when he first learned the Albino's location, he visited the system to see if it was true and was contacted by the Albino. The Albino offered Kang a "glorious" battle against forty of the Albino's best warriors and Kang accepted, believing that if he could not kill the Albino, he could die trying. Claiming Klingons embrace death far too easily, Dax helps Kang and the others come up with a new strategy. By using a tetryon field to disable energy weapons, they force the Albino's warriors to fight using traditional methods and storm the compound. Koloth dies during the attack and the Albino manages to mortally wound Kang, but Dax pins the Albino so he is at her mercy. He dares her to kill him believing she will not; she does not, instead allowing Kang the honor. "It is a good day to die," Kang utters before dying. Memorable Quotes "The Korvat colony. First day of negotiations, I walked out on you, right in the middle of that long-winded speech of yours. You should have seen the look on your face. Nobody had ever had the kajunpak't to show their back to the great Kang before Curzon did." "I almost killed Curzon that day." : - Dax and Kang "How did you get in here?" "I am ''Koloth." "''That doesn't answer my question." "Yes it does." : - Odo and Koloth, in Odo's office "Security reassignments, Major. Sorry it took so long; it's been a Klingon afternoon." : - Odo "Look upon your executioners, killer of children!" : - Kang Background Information Origin * Peter Allan Fields' original story did not feature Kang, Kor, and Koloth. They were to be new characters, but Robert Hewitt Wolfe, a big fan of the Original Series, suggested using the three most popular Klingons from that series. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) * Before the episode entered production, Junie Lowry-Johnson and Ron Surma checked to see if Ansara, Colicos and Campbell were still acting. They found the first two easily, but had difficulty finding William Campbell. He was actually doing Star Trek cruise conventions at the time. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) * Fields based the episode on Akira Kurosawa's film ''Seven Samurai'' and John Sturges' remake of that film, ''The Magnificent Seven''. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) * Fields modelled Koloth after James Coburn's character of Britt and Kang after Yul Brynner. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) * Kor was based on William Shakespeare's character of Falstaff, who appeared in Henry IV, Part II. The Klingon forehead issue * The production staff toyed with the idea of having the three Klingons appear as they did in TOS, but decided against it. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) * When Michael Ansara asked why the Klingons now looked different, he was told it was "a natural physical metamorphosis". (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) * The Star Trek: Enterprise episodes and explain why Kang, Koloth, and Kor have ridges here. Sets * The interior of the Albino's fortress was built on Paramount Stage 18. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) * The Albino's fortress was actually a house in Pasadena designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) * A model of it, which was blown up to show the destruction of the Compound, was built on Paramount's Van Ness parking lot. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) Music * To set the mood for the fight sequence, Kolbe had ''Götterdämmerung'' played. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) * The music of this episode is very memorable for Dennis McCarthy, for its forceful nature. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) Cast * This episode, originally titled "The Beast", "reunites" three Klingons from the Original Series: Kor ( ), Koloth ( ) and Kang ( ). * John Colicos reprises his role as Kor in season four's and season seven's . * The late Christopher Collins previously played Durg in . * This episode marks the deaths of Koloth (William Campbell) and Kang (Michael Ansara), although, Kang would later reprise the role in . * Ironically, Kor (John Colicos) is the only one of the three Klingons to survive the events of this episode, however, as of 2007, Colicos is the only one of the three actors who is deceased. * William Campbell said of this episode it was his most difficult acting job, and one he would have liked to do again. (Deep Space Nine Chronicles) * Michael Ansara appears in DS9 again, as Jeyal in . * Colm Meaney (Miles O'Brien), Alexander Siddig (Julian Bashir) and Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) do not appear in this episode. Trivia * Klach D'Kel Brakt, referred to in this episode, is later revealed in to be the Klingon name for the "Briar Patch" seen in . * Kor's line "That's what you get for making a deal with the devil, Kang!" is rather odd, given that Kang said in that Klingons do not have a devil. (It could be an expression as a result of the Klingon-Federation interactions over the last 200 years of the Star Trek universe) * When Kor pulls open the holosuite door at the beginning of the episode, the "whoosh" sound of the Original Series doors is played. Literature * Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin's Star Trek: Excelsior novel "Forged in Fire" is said to be a prequel of sorts to this episode. Links and References Guest Stars *John Colicos as Kor *Michael Ansara as Kang *William Campbell as Koloth *Bill Bolender as the Albino *Christopher Collins as Albino's Assistant Uncredited Co-Stars *Christopher Doyle as Albino guard #5 *Chuck Borden as stunt double for Christopher Collins References Baakonite; Bahgol; bat'leth; Blood oath; Breshtanti ale; D'k tahg; D'akturak; Dahar master; Dax, son of Kang; Dax, Curzon; Dayos IV; Galdonterre; genetic virus; gravitic mine; Klach D'Kel Brakt; Klach D'Kel Brakt, Battle of; Korvat colony; kuttars; Markalian; QiVon; riddinite; Romulan Star Empire; Secarus IV; Secarus system; tetryon; tetryon radiation; External Links * * |next= }} Category:DS9 episodes de:Der Blutschwur es:Blood Oath nl:Blood Oath